GRADUATES: Check out local schools’ class photos Deputy recovering after being shot in Claud standoff, B8
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New fire station to open around new year Holtville High School basketball coach arrested HIGH SCHOOL STANHOPE ELMORE ACADEMY IAN IST CHR LIFE NEW OOL WETUMPKA HIGH SCH H SCHOOL HIG NTY COU ORE ELM
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May your n datioan By CLIFF WILLIAMS effort to better ka fire chief Greg Willis lay the founIn for a bright future . way your on inue News Editor serve the growing comsaid. “We have always as you cont munity on the west side concerned about and handed it off By Cliff Williams Wilson was the headbeen basketinvestigation The Coosa River presof the river, a new fire having to go through Staff Writer ball coach at Holtville High to the appropriate authorities. ents a challenge for the stationSchool will beand operaschool traffic.” was He was also placed on adminisWetumpka Fire Departtional around the new The newtrative stationleave is at that time.” A virtual teacher at Elmore placed on adment. year. currently being conCounty School’s Edge program ministrative Dennis said school officials With a city on both “It will allow to structed onfollow North Bridge has been arrested and charged leave Jan.us 13 the same procedure sides the river and distribclose aaccording station that is Street nearwhen the intersecwithofschool employee to Eladministrators receive a reportRiver of allegations against uting obscene to a deep stu- inmore County only two bridgesmaterial to a residential tion with Coosa school staff and employees. dent.response to an Schools on supercross, neighborhood West we A6 hand it over, we Elmore can County Sheriff Bill RichSee“Once FIRE, Page emergency be tricky. Coosa intendent Street,” Wetumpknow very little about what is Franklin said Emmanuel Andre ard Dennis. WILSON going on,” Dennis said. “We Wilson II, 32, of Montgomery “We had a recooperate with authorities if turned himself into authorities port,” Dennis Tuesday afternoon. said. “We had a preliminary necessary.” May 17, 2023 Herald ment to The Wetumpka
A special supple
CLIFF WILLIAMS | THE HERALD
Franklin said investigators with the Elmore County Sheriff’s Office have the alleged victim’s phone. Authorities collected Wilson’s phone as well. “You could see a conversation between the two,” Franklin said. “Mr. Wilson is going to contend someone had the security code to his phone and he was not responsible. There is other information we can’t disclose now but I don’t think it’s beneficial to Mr. Wilson.”
Chamber holds luncheon
welcoming members By Cliff Williams Staff Writer The Wetumpka Chamber of Commerce held its annual luncheon to install new officers and board members for the first time in a while Thursday. The COVID-19 pandemic put a hamper on gatherings but the chamber celebrated the successes of business in Wetumpka. “We haven’t been able to do this for the last couple years,” chairperson Clay McConnell said. “Your attendance is an indication people want to get back together and have these opportunities to see each
Members of the Wetumpka Chamber of Commerce attend the chamber’s “A Taste of Our Home Town” luncheon. CLIFF WILLIAMS/
WETUMPKA RACECARS
THE HERALD
See CHAMBER, Page A3
PLACE AT NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
A new Wetumpka fire station is under Wilson wasconstruction released on onNorth a $6,000 bondBridge 90 minutes af-the Street near ter turning himself in accordCoosa River Parkway. When County it is completed ing to the Elmore Jail it will allow a quicker website. response time also for Dennis said Wilson emergency on the coached other sports atcalls Holtside of the Coosa ville schoolswest including being the head trackRiver. coach and assistant football coach. Dennis said other staff would fill in for the duties of Wilson at Holtville while he is on administrative leave.
Holtville hosts unique book Police of graduates
continue investigation, man no longer suspected
By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor
Thursday night will be special in Holtville as it’s graduation at the high school. Following the ceremonies, the names of 128 graduates will be handwritten by Lyndee Antley in a leather-bound book honoring Holtville High School graduates, just like the 106 from the Class of 2022 including Class of 2022 valedictorian Hannah Daniel. It’s a tradition as old as the school itself going back to the Class of 1926. Daniel discovered the tradition as she By Jake Arthur See GRADUATES, Page A3 Chief Videographer Police are still investigating the fatal shooting in the Wetumpka Walmart parking lot on Jan. 20. Police were dispatched to the parking lot around 10:45 p.m. for a “shots fired” call. Once there, they found Centell Winston, 42 of Tallassee, dead of a gunshot wound in the driver seat of his vehicle. According to Wetumpka police chief CLIFF WILLIAMS | THE HERALD Greg Benton, this was not a random A bound volume dating back to 1926shootcontains ing.handwritten names of every graduate from the “This was random, not has a random Holtville High not School. The book been used act,” “We believe the benefits victo helpsaid someBenton. graduates apply for federal tim and the perpetrator knew each other.” when no birth certificate was available. This is the first homicide in Wetumpka in over three years. The last homicide in the city took place in 2018. “It’s not a good way to start out the new year,” said Benton. Benton didn’t want to speculate on the
ka junior and Greenpower head itors,” Wood said. “They have crew chief Judson Wood have entire class periods devoted to it learned to work smarter. while we split ours with robotics. etumpka High School is “I have learned if you are They also have more money.” developing a reputation patient, if you are calm about The program was started by of racing battery powered what you do and you think Wetumpka science chair Dr. cars. things through, don’t speed Virginia Vilardi when she was The Wetumpka Greenpower through things or make stupid awarded a grant in 2014 to start team finished third in a national mistakes, you can easily keep the program. championship race at Talladega up with them,” Wood said. “The “We got the frame and all the with its custom battery powfunding and time difference can parts for our first car that year,” See SHOOTING, Page A3 ered go-kart like car. But that is be fixed as long as you are smart Vilardi said. “It took us until late not all. It had two other cars in and think through your decisions spring until we had it all together the race, including a stock car about competition. It can get and we raced in our first race at placing fifth and a modified car challenging. We get one hour a Barbers in 2015.” By CLIFF WILLIAMS placing 14th. And it is all while day and it is split focused a lot From there the program has News Editor competing against bigger schools with robotics.” grown from the school’s first stock Staff Report schoolwide Wood assembly Holtville has the freschool culture from that in a positive direction. The with more class time and money saidatWetumpka car. It placed thirdofina lastshift year’s The annual Elmore County HistorCounty Suschool struggling with low mo- school experienced a 62 percent devoted to the Greenpower High cars. School. quentElmore competitions with schools first national championship. ical Society Wetumpka City CemeThe Alabama Association of at perintendent Dennis was rale, attendance decrease in discipline referrals, But students and staff fromRichard Alabama especially Bob achievement Thisand season Vilardi solicited tery Tour brings history to life and Secondary School Principals forand the Oxford. presentation. to a school that strives for excel- 50 percent decrease in chronic Wetumpka don’t allow that in to attendance be Jones highlights the efforts of the organi(AASSP) named Holtville HighWetump“Kyle Futral is an lence. By collaborating See withRACECARS, staff, absenteeism, a disadvantage. Instead “They areexceptionour biggest competPage A6 7 percent increase zation. School principal Kyle Futral the al principal and is very proac- many of the school’s issues were in the graduation rate, 33 percent Historical society president Cal2022 Alabama High School Prin- tive and innovative in his think- identified and addressed. Futral’s increase in CCR rate and a 20 pervin Chappelle believes the living cipal of the Year. ing and approaches to managing leadership style of listening, en- cent increase in ACT proficiency SUBMITTED | THE HERALD cemetery tour is a big draw for the The High School Principal of his school,” Dennis said, couraging, supporting, organizing in the last five years. The Wetumpka High School Green Car Team competed in three divisions — organization and its other events and the Year award was presentedstock, to modified As principal of Holtville High championship and challenging the staff and stuand custom at the national in Talladega. See PRINCIPAL, Page A3 Futral on Friday, Jan. 28 during a School, Futral has transformed dents, caused the school culture to FUTURAL See TOUR, Page A3 By CLIFF WILLIAMS News Editor
W
Cemetery tour returns this weekend
Holtville’s Futral Alabama principal of the year
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